Ensuring a Child is Supported, Despite Unemployment

Question: What methods to enforce child support payments are available if the supporting parent claims to be unemployed?

Answer: Attorneys have a number of methods at their disposal to enforce court-ordered child support payments. If the supporting parent claims to be unemployed, the non-custodial party can get a court order, ensuring that the “unemployed” parent maintain a job diary. The court can also order the non-custodial parent to participate in a government-sponsored job placement service and have that parent complete a financial disclosure statement to be reviewed by the court and attorneys. Other methods to enforce support include suspending a parent’s driver’s license and the right to a U.S. passport, seizing assets of the non-custodial parent to repay child support debt, and reporting the deadbeat parent to credit reporting agencies. For more information about Illinois law, visit www.illinoislawyerfinder.com. If you have a legal question, send it to illinoislawcolumn@isba.org.Illinois Law Now is a series of newspaper and internet posts prepared by the Illinois State Bar Association that address legal issues of interest to the public. For additional information about the law, visit https://www.isba.org/